Mystery 'Tips for Jesus' tipper identified in NYC

2 years ago

The generous "mystery" tipper who has been leaving waiters across the country thousands of dollars in "Tips for Jesus" — and stamped with the @tipsforjesus handle — was identified by a New York City waiter as Jack Selby, former PayPal vice president.

Aruj Dhawan, a waiter at Bo's Kitchen, told the New York Post that Selby and two other patrons gave him a $1,000 tip on a $111.05 bill.

"As I was about to drop the check off, one of the men said they would ‘make my night.’ They called me over, gave me the check," Dhawan told the Post. "I was amazed ... I was just really thankful.”

So were Dhawan's coworkers: the Chelsea restaurant pools its tips among staffers at the end of the night.

Last week, ValleyWag.com reported that Selby — who made millions on PayPal's sale to eBay — was behind the big tips.

According to the Post, Bo's manager, Benjamin Cramer, asked Selby why he tipped so much. "He said, 'Just because.' I was told, 'We tip a hundred times the bill.'"

Bigger tips bearing the "Tips for Jesus" mark were left across Manhattan over the weekend: $3,500 on a $391.95 bill at The Smith near Lincoln Center, and $7,000 on a $2,994.61 check at the NoMad in midtown.

The anonymous tipping campaign began in September at in Ann Arbor, Mich., where a $3,000 tip was left on an $87.88 bill. A day later, a $2,000 tip was left on a $215 meal, then $5,000 on a $214.75 check.